IL Green Party Could Impact November Elections

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 08:37:06 CDTBy: IPR

Now that Illinois' two major political parties have candidates for this fall, the state Green Party is trying to make waves with a list of its own candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state. State Green Party Chair Rich Whitney says there was improvement for his party in recent years. Placing two candidates on the ballot for Congressional seats - and getting some elected at the local level, including a Carbondale city council member. University of Illinois Political Science Professor Brian Gaines says it's unlikely the Greens have much of an impact on the ballot… but could influence what major party candidates talk about:

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"Not that the other candidates pay a great deal of attention to them, but if they're shrewd about the way they pick the issues, and they pick their issues cleverly, then sometimes they can force the issue onto the main party candidates' agenda."

Gaines expects the Greens to finish with 1-to-3 percent of the vote. The Greens also want a progressive income tax, and a statewide ban on fracking.